


Camp Altea

by Atalto



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Archery Tutor!Lance, Camp Leader!Shiro, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dates, Dating, Fluff, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Meet-Cute, Miscommunication, Romance, Shance Summer Days 2018, Summer Camp AU, literally just fluff, shiro is thirsty, tooth rotting tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-05-27 22:42:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15034895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atalto/pseuds/Atalto
Summary: This was the third year that Shiro had agreed to be a leader for Coran's Camp Altea, a Summer Camp that he's enjoyed and hated simultaneously every time he agrees to help.But this year, there's a new Archery tutor, with nice legs and a gentle laugh, who threatens to change Shiro's summer - and his outlook on camp - forever.(Written for the Shance Summer Days event on Tumblr and Discord! Thanks Shance Cafe!)





	1. Welcome to Camp Altea!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!
> 
> So, Shance Summer Days has just started on Tumblr and Discord, thanks to my dear friends at the Shance cafe!  
> I’m hoping to turn the prompts into a 7 part story for y’all, bc I wrote this as a oneshot but fell so far in love with the idea it was unreal. Each part will hopefully add to the story, but keep to the theme of the week, if that makes sense :’)
> 
> Either way, enjoy!

"Alright guys, everyone okay?"

The room of kids answered with a call of tired yes's, and Shiro grinned in relief.

"Awesome," he confirmed, "I'll see you all at breakfast at eight tomorrow morning!"

With that, he slipped his head out of the door, shutting it gently as his watch flashed nine-thirty.

It had been a long day - the camp had started that morning, buses of schools and kids in overbearing parents' cars turning up to Camp Altea in their droves. Coran had decided to stick Shiro with Allura on the welcome team - a job which he hated and dreaded every year - so he'd practically been on his feet for the past twelve hours.

Thankfully, the kids allocated to the Black camp were blessings, and orientation had been a breeze. He considered himself a little lucky in that regard; he'd passed Keith and the red camp during the tour, who was glaring him daggers over the green.

"They're little shits, all of them," he complained at lunch the next day, picking at his sandwich as Hunk gave him a sympathetic side-hug, "first they argue over room placement, then the timetable, then lunch - _how can you argue over lunch?_ "

"At least they're not physically scrapping?" Pidge offered through a mouthful of food, "two kids in green nearly killed each other over sleeping bags this morning."

Keith hummed, dumping his sandwich back on the plastic plate to stab at the limp looking salad. "I guess."

"I don't think the yellow kids are too bad?" Hunk said with a frown, "I'll trade if you want-"

"No Hunk, that's not fair," Allura interjected, and Shiro felt himself laugh slightly as Keith grimaced dejectedly, "we can't just reallocate people."

Pidge elbowed him, leaning in with one hand over her mouth. "That's only because the Blue kids are absolute angels and she doesn't want to swap."

Pidge must have been less than subtle, for Allura stiffened on Shiro's other side.

"Anyway," Shiro said with a cough, changing the subject hastily, "is there anything new this year? I didn't notice anything, but I missed the briefing."

"Not much," Allura said, finally relaxing after Pidge's accusation and pushing the tray away from her, "a few new tutors, and a few updates to the buildings, but other than that-"

"Oh yeah!" Hunk interrupted, pulling his arm away from around Keith, "Lance is here this year!"

Keith's face instantly fell. "You mean that annoying new archery tutor?" He deadpanned, "I meet him today and the first thing he says to me? 'Quiznak, I didn't realise mullets were still legal - shouldn't you have been arrested by the fashion police by now?'"  
He rolled his eyes, letting his head drop. "He's gonna' be infuriating."

"Give him a chance?" Hunk said with a sheepish grin, "he thinks he's funny, just roll with it."

Instead, Keith just muttered something indistinguishable and ripped the lid off his pudding cup angrily.

"Well, Black Camp has archery first thing tomorrow," Shiro mused, resting his chin in his hands that were propped up on the table, "I guess I'll see him then."

"Wait, Hunk, you know him?" Pidge asked, taking a sip from her water cup.

Hunk nodded, grin spreading over his face. "We went to high school together - we were like, best friends until we went to different collages, and even then we stayed in contact." He stopped to steal a discarded fry on Keith's plate. "He's a nice guy, I promise."

All this talk of this Lance guy has made Shiro curious. It wasn't often a new tutor caused a stir with the camp leaders quite like this. This usually meant one of two things; either he was going to be amazing, or the worst tutor ever.

As he tided his tray away and gathered his troop to take them back to the camp, he severely hoped it was the former.

* * *

 

"Ugh, how much longer?"

That kid - Daniel, Shiro's mind suggested  - had been whining all the way from base camp to the archery range, and Shiro felt like he was close to screaming.

"It's just up ahead," Shiro replied tiredly, fixing a smile as the kid frowned deeper, "look, it's coming over the hill now!"

Sure enough, the familiar flag and log shelter of the range were beginning to peek over the top, and he gave a sigh of relief. If he squinted, he could make out a figure-like shape up there - he assumed that was Lance, and as they finally neared the range, Shiro got his first good look at the new tutor.

He was beautiful.

This Lance fellow was tall, with lithe, willowy arms and gangly legs covered with the nicest pair of blue khaki shorts Shiro had ever seen. They highlighted his rich, caramel skin perfectly, and the wind fluttered through chestnut hair like some kind of Hollywood movie.

When they finally stopped at the gate, Lance was fiddling with the stations, refilling arrows carefully and balancing bows on holding hooks. His own bow was slung over his back, like some kind of Robin Hood-style hero, and the soft tune he was humming was audible from even where Shiro was standing.

"Oh, you guys are here!" He called suddenly, head snapping up at Shiro, "come on over everyone!"

Shiro gestured for the group to follow him, taking a place beside Lance to address them.  
"Lance, right?" He offered, holding out a hand to shake and hoping the waver in his voice wasn't too audible, "It's nice to meet you, I've heard a lot about you."

Lance grinned, enthusiastically shaking Shiro's hand. "Only the interesting stuff, I hope," he replied with a ringing, bell-like laugh, before _winking_ , "am I right in assuming that you're Shiro?"

He had _winked_ at Shiro.

He was so thankful that prosthetics didn't sweat.

At his distance, he could properly see sunlight glinting through Lance's hair, and the deep, contrasting shadows cast on his face that highlighted his cheekbones perfectly-

"Dude?" Lance asked suddenly, and Shiro felt a flush of embarrassment spread across his face, "you okay?"

"Peachy, sorry," he replied instantly, pulling his hand away to ring them in front of him before gesturing to the group before them, "do you mind if I-?"

Lance shook his head, smile returning to his face. "Not at all."

Shiro returned the look, before clasping his hands and turning back to the group.  
"Okay, so this morning, you guys are doing some archery," he explained with a smile, unable to miss Lance fidgeting in the corner of his eye, "this is Lance, and he's gonna' be your tutor, so be good for him, okay?"

The kids nodded as Lance gave a little bow next to him, bright grin present on his face once again.

"Right, okay," Lance mused, before unhooking the bow from around his body to grip it in his left hand, "so, first of all, archery is nowhere near as hard as everyone says it is. It takes a little bit of getting used to, but once you've got the basics it's only up from there!"

He smirked over at Shiro, their eyes connecting for just a moment before he started addressing the group again.

"So I'll call you up in groups of four to the stations, where I'll give the basics, and then you have four-" he gestured to one of the bins of arrows at a station, "arrows to shoot at those targets over there! On a safety note, don't go and retrieve your arrows until I say it's okay and everyone's stopping firing, because otherwise someone might end up with an arrow in the back, and we don't want that."

A disgusted groan came from the group at Lance's gory description, but Shiro just found himself laughing at the other man softly.

"So, who wants to go first?" He eventually asked, only for pretty much the whole group to stick their hands in the air, "right, well, that's not easy at all."

Eventually, four kids were picked and shown to their stations, as Lance wandered over to the fifth and final station at the end, the one that was usually reserved for left-handers, after handing out wrist guards to the group.

"If you guys want to watch me, I'll give a little demonstration?" Lance offered, and the kids turned to watch as he plucked an arrow from the bin, "that includes you, Shiro the Hero."

He winked again, and Shiro felt his legs turn to jello.

Effortlessly, Lance explained each point of the bow, from placing the arrow perfectly on the bow, to showing them just how far to draw it back.

"-And then once it's at your cheek," he continued, shaking the sleek, blue bow handle in his hand, "you just let go."

With that, he removed his fingers from the string, and the arrow sailed out of the bow.  
A second later, it slammed into the dead centre of the target with barely a whisper.

"Just like that!" He called with a grin, turning to the stunned group, "think you can beat me?"

The kids instantly scrambled to their stations, whipping arrows out of bins eagerly to attempt to mimic Lance.

"So, how long did it take you to get a shot like that?" Shiro asked quietly, wandering over to where Lance was stood at the end of the row, "it was pretty impressive."

If possible, Lance's smile seemed to grow wider, a blush of pride washing over his face. "A while," he said, finally facing Shiro, "I've been in archery since I was a kid - won my state competition when I was like, sixteen, so I've been able to that-" he gestured to the perfect bullseye on the other side of the range, "-for at least ten years now? It's always fun to do and then watch the kids' faces afterwards."  
He laughed to himself, before paling as one of the kids whirled around with the bow still taut in his hand. "Hey, face back to the target with your arrow please!"

"Shouldn't you be in the Olympics then?" Shiro asked once Lance had turned back, "you seem good enough."

Lance clicked his tongue, laughing slightly awkwardly before puffing his chest up. "I know, right? But apparently I thought that helping dumb kids on camps would be infinitely more interesting than the Olympics."

"I'll bet," Shiro replied with a laugh, crossing his arms as a girl's arrow sailed into the ground three feet away from her.

Lance had to swap the kids after that, telling the first group it was safe to collect the arrows whilst giving the second group a brief explanation of the bow. Shiro was almost surprised when he returned to his side a moment later.

"Do you want to have a go?" Lance offered suddenly, face bright, "there's no lefties so there's a free target if you want."

"I- ah, I'm okay," Shiro felt himself stutter, holding his hands out in front of him as Lance unhooked his bow from his body, "I don't think I'm too good-"

"Oh, I get it," Lance replied as he slipped the bow back over himself, eyes narrowing, "you don't wanna' look shit in front of the kids, right?"

Shiro raised an eyebrow. Maybe it was true, but he shouldn't say it.

"Don't worry, I've tutored adults before," he continued, smooth grin on his face already, "you guys have free time after dinner, yeah? Why don't you come back up after that and you can have a quick go without them watching for possible blackmail?"

Was he suggesting a private meeting?

Just the two of them, alone, on the archery range as the sun sets over the hill.

"That sounds- that sounds great," Shiro replied, hoping he didn't sound as weak as he thought he did, "what time?"

"Maybe about seven? You hand them over to the evening workshops then, right?" Lance suggested, and Shiro nodded.

"Sounds perfect."

Lance grinned widely, patting Shiro gently on the arm before turning to go and swap the groups again. "Don't worry Shiro, I'll have you shooting like a marine by nine!"

With that, all oxygen decided to leave Shiro's body, and his legs felt weak.

He was so screwed.

* * *

 

Seven O'clock came sooner than Shiro thought it would.

He had seen Lance at dinner, deep in conversation with Shay and the lifeguard, but paused just long enough to shoot Shiro a wide and happy smile from across his table.

"Someone's made a friend," Pidge teased as he finally took his seat at the table, and a round of whistles met him, "so, what's his name?"

"How do you guys know already?" He questioned, staring down at pizza that looked rather unappetising to his nervous stomach, "it was literally just this morning-"

"Well, Yellow had archery after lunch, so I saw him then," Hunk explained, taking a bite of his own pizza, "and the first thing he tells me is how he's got a date with the 'hot Black leader' today during evening activities."

A date?

"I wouldn't have called it a date," Shiro said lowly, refusing to meet any of their eyes, "he's just giving me an archery tutorial without the kids watching."

"Yeah, all alone on sunset hill," Keith added with a snort, "he'll probably get you to aim by candlelight or something-"

"Guys, please-"

"I'd almost say you have a crush, Shiro," Allura chimed in, smiling pleasantly as if she had no hand in this teasing, "look, you're blushing!"

He had hoped it was just hot in here, but apparently not.

"I can see it now," Pidge said with a laugh, clasping her hands in front of her in some cruel performance, "'oh Lance, won't you please tell me how to shoot? I'm so useless and gay, oh Lance-'"

"And then Lance'll be like, 'oh anything for you, Shiro!'" Hunk added in a high pitched voice, "'you can shoot straight for my heart!'"

"Guys, seriously," Shiro interrupted, running a nervous hand through his hair, "It's one lesson, how bad can it be?"

"May I remind you all that this is coming from Takashi 'if it's not perfect first time I'm not going to do it' Shirogane," Keith added, gesturing with a piece of garlic bread, "if you're taking a lesson from someone, it must be big."

The group fell back in laughter, but the time soon came for the evening activities.

Thankfully, Shiro was able to slip away without much fuss after he handed his group over to the instructor. He waved them goodbye with a shaky hand, before beginning the trek back up sunset hill.

Lance was waiting for him at the top, apparently not quite having finished setting up. He had cleared the familiar five stations, with only one remaining in the middle of the range, a large bow hanging from the holding pike. The atmosphere seemed different, more relaxed; Lance had lit the torches that surrounded the range - an aesthetic choice left over from the old tutor that Shiro never quite understood - that left the grounds glowing in a soft blaze of yellows and oranges. The sunset hadn't started yet, but the sky was getting dark.

"Oh Shiro! You're here!" Lance called, and Shiro jogged over with a smile, "sorry, I was just-"

"It's fine," Shiro interrupted with a shake of his head, and he noticed the familiar bow wasn't slung around Lance's body like before, "I'm slightly early, I think."

"We can start early then," Lance replied with a grin, taking Shiro by the wrist to lead him to the station, "do you need the safety talk?

Shiro shook his head as Lance fished a familiar wrist guard out from his pocket, and he held out his left arm to let the other man secure it. It was a gentle movement, with Lance securing the Velcro straps slowly as to not pinch Shiro's skin, and his wrist seemed to burn pleasantly with the remnants of the touch.

"Right, so, basically I didn't bother to bring any adult bows with me," Lance explained hastily once the wrist guard was securely on, "will you be okay using trusty ol' Blue?"

So that was where his bow was.

"Of course," Shiro replied quickly, and Lance shot him that million-watt grin as Shiro retrieved the bow from the holding pike, "It's lighter than I thought it was going to be."

"You'd be surprised how many people say that," Lance said with a laugh, hand reaching to play with his own wrist guard absentmindedly, "apparently people think they're going to be, like, gun-heavy or something."

"Fibreglass tends to have that effect," Shiro said as he tossed the bow between his hands. He felt a little weird with the professional blue bow in his hands, rather than one of the vibrantly coloured ones the kids used earlier, but if Lance trusted him with it, than he wasn't going to complain.

Lance reached for an arrow out of the bin, holding it up for Shiro with one eyebrow quirked. "Let's see what you remember then."

"From when?" Shiro asked with a laugh as he accepted the arrow, running his thumb over the feathers at the end.

"From the demonstration with the kids, duh."

Oh, of course.

As if he had been paying attention to what Lance was saying then instead of his arms as they pulled back the string, or how his long fingers were clenched around the grip, supple but strong.

Pidge was right, he _was_ useless and gay.

"I think I remember the main points," he said - lied - and notched the end of the arrow between two coloured pieces of twine that he hoped was the right place to put it, "It's been a while."

"At least you know where the arrow goes," Lance supplied with a reassuring chuckle, leaning over Shiro's shoulder to straighten it out slightly, "I have some beginners who try to notch it all over the place."

The arrow slid onto the small hold on the grip, and he heard Lance cheer gently under his breath as it became secure. "Ready to shoot?"

"I'll try," Shiro replied, slowly raising the bow up like he tried to remember Lance doing earlier. Did he say he had to pull it back to his cheek-?

"Hold on," Lance said suddenly, and Shiro whipped his head around as two hands suddenly appeared on his hips, "your foot stance is really, really off, if you don't mind me saying."

However, instead of looking annoyed, Lance gave him a reassuring grin. "Don't worry, it's an easy mistake to make - one we don't really teach beginners, but I think you're past that stage. Do you know ballet?"

Shiro shrugged. "A bit. Why?"

"Put your feet in, like, second position," Lance explained, demonstrating with his own legs for Shiro to copy, "there, that'll do."

With that, Shiro raised the bow again, fumbling as the arrow slipped slightly in the hold. He was acutely aware of Lance watching over his shoulder, of how one of his hands hadn't left his hips yet; instead it was a reassuring weight, but the feeling of each of his fingers curled around his hip was distracting in all the best ways.

"Now, pull it back," he heard Lance say, voice a gentle whisper in the silence of the range, "you remember where to?"

"My cheek?" Shiro offered hopefully, and Lance hummed happily in confirmation behind him.

"Go for it," he whispered again, voice steady and solid, and Shiro pulled the tight string up to his cheek.

"Now, let go."

He pulled his fingers away, and the arrow flew forwards.

Only to miss the target and slam into the hay bales behind instead.

"Don't worry!" Lance said brightly, pulling away to grab another arrow from the bin - he must have seen Shiro's crestfallen face, but the sudden lack of contact was jarring.

"Sorry," Shiro offered sheepishly, letting the bow drop by his side, but Lance just shook his head.

"Dude, that was a really good first shot!" Lance argued, handing Shiro another arrow to fix against the string, "most people get it in the ground first time, so well done!"

Shiro felt a blush crawl across his face at the praise. Lance didn't seem to have a problem with throwing it out, face filled with a supportive happiness.

"Try again," he said, returning to his place behind Shiro as he raised the bow again, "but I'll help this time."

The familiar hand looped around his hip once again, but this time, his other hand fixed itself around where Shiro was holding the handle. His head was suddenly flush with Shiro's, so much so that he could feel his body against his back and his breath in his hair.

It took effort not to short out, to keep focused on the bow in his hands when all he could feel was Lance behind him.

"Try aiming like this," Lance suddenly said, and Shiro snapped back to reality to feel Lance pushing the bow slightly to the right and a little bit up, "there, now try."

Shiro lifted the bow to his cheek again, sucking in a breath before letting the string go.  
This time, it hit the red ring on the inside; not quite a bullseye, but close.

"Fantastic!" Lance cried, stepping away to punch the air happily, "dude, you're a natural! That was awesome!"

"But you aimed it," Shiro replied flatly, hoping not to show the way his stomach had decided to do gymnastics at Lance's proud smile.

"Nah, you were pretty much there," Lance shot back, placing his hands on his own hips, "you just needed some guidance - for someone who hasn't 'shot in a while', that was pretty epic."

Shiro felt himself swallow thickly, quickly placing the bow back on the holding pike to place his arms behind his back nervously.

"Don't you want to take another shot?" Lance asked hesitantly, finally stopping his little victory dance next for the station, "if you keep trying, I'm pretty sure you could get a bullseye by the end of the night-"

"I was hoping to talk, actually," Shiro said slowly, averting his eyes away from Lance.

However, he wasn't quick enough to miss Lance's scared frown that flicked across his face.

"Oh boy, that's never good," Lance said with a thin laugh, "what's up?"

Now or never.

"Is this a date?"

Lance paled immediately, freezing on the spot. "Hunk told you, didn't he?"

Shiro nodded, and Lance instantly started fiddling with a loose thread of his t-shirt. "It- it can be, but, um, it doesn't have to be if you don't want to - I mean, if you're not into dudes, or like, if you are but you're not into me, that's totally fine-"

"Lance," Shiro interrupted, forcing himself to take a brave step towards him, "I'd love for it to be a date-"  
He stopped, taking in the way Lance's face seemed to glow with a sudden hope. "I just feel like I know nothing about you."

"Wait, that's all?" Lance asked, almost in disbelief, "we can remedy that like, right now. Wait here?"

Shiro nodded, almost numb, as Lance ran over to the shelter. He returned almost immediately with a large blue cooler, dropping it on the ground between them.

"I came prepared?" He explained, unhooking and unfolding a blanket that was attached to the side, "I mean, I brought supper. I thought that - if you were okay with it, of course - we could sit and watch the sunset?"

"Only if I get to know your life story," Shiro replied, finally letting himself grin at Lance.

"Anything you want to know, I'll tell you," Lance said easily, retrieving two bottles of what looked like cider out from the cooler, "thirsty?"

_For you? Maybe._

"If I was following protocol, I'd have confiscated that, but I'll let it slide," he teased with a grin, accepting the drink and crashing next to Lance on the blanket, "so, where do we start?"

Lance laughed, taking a swig from the bottle. "At the beginning, preferably. Like, who you are, I feel like I've said enough about myself for now."

Shiro took a sip, pleasantly surprised by the fruity, and decidedly non-alcoholic taste. "You'll be here for a while."

"I'm not complaining."

Before them, the sun had set, throwing a blanket of glorious reds and pinks across the sky. It was breathtaking, really, a sight that Shiro never got tired of.

He hoped Lance wouldn't either.

"Well," he started, starting to peel at the bottle label, "my name's Takashi Shirogane, I'm twenty-eight, and I'm from San Francisco - yes, my family is Japanese..."

If their hands touched on the blanket whilst Shiro was talking, neither of them said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning: I have no idea what American summer camps are like - this is being written from my experience, but idk how much different camps are in Britain from America :’)
> 
> Hope y’all enjoy this, and I’ll see y’all next week!


	2. Field Trip!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final Day field trip is here, and Shiro is more than happy to spend the day with Lance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!
> 
> I’m sorry this is late - I’ll try and stick to updating on sundays, but yesterday was *a day* if you know what I mean D:
> 
> Anyway! Here’s week 2: fun and games! (With a little bit of water games added too)
> 
> Enjoy!

"So, how did it go?"

Breakfast this morning was fairly basic; just the usuals sausages, bacon, tomatoes and eggs.

"Shiro? Answer the question please?"

Maybe he'd grab some toast later, he thought as he ripped the end off a small sachet of salt.

"Stop being a dick and ignoring us."

"Okay, fine!" He snapped, exasperated, as Pidge and Keith took their usual seats at the leaders table, "It was- It was fine, okay? Can I eat my breakfast now?"

A second later, Hunk appeared with his own tray, settling it on the table with a grin. "Morning everyone!" He said brightly, "Shiro, how was your date yesterday?"

"It was 'fine', apparently," Pidge replied for him, taking the ketchup bottle off the table next to them as she loaded up a bacon sandwich, "and that's all we're getting at the moment."

Shiro felt like slamming his head against the table.

Hunk paled next to him, shooting him an intensely worried look. "Oh man, was it not good? I've just seen Lance, and he looked happy as anything, but it's Lance, y'know?"

"No, no, it was great," Shiro finally said, resting his head on one hand, "it was really good, actually, we sat and drank cider and talked for three hours, happy?"

Pidge took an uninterested bite of her sandwich. "Romantic."

"So like, where's all this angst coming from?" Hunk asked with a quirked eyebrow, "shouldn't you be on cloud nine by now?"

"I am, I am-"

Hunk frowned. "You don't look it."

"I just-" Shiro stopped, snatching a breath, "I don't know how far it'll go."

"What do you mean?" Pidge asked through a mouthful of food.

"He's gonna' leave once this term is over, right-?"

"Maybe try actually talking to him?" Hunk offered, a smile finally returning to his face, "I think he'll have the answer to that."

Shiro frowned, choosing to pick at the cooling food in front of him rather than meet Hunk's eye. That was part of his problem; he hadn't seen Lance yet outside of fraught smiles across the canteen or full camp meetings. Sure, having archery first meant he met Lance earlier, but they had hardly talked since; they couldn't even text thanks to the lack of phone signal on the site, despite Shiro giving Lance his number.

Sure, it had been like fourteen hours since they parted ways, but Shiro was already preparing for the worst.

"God, you're _hopeless_ ," he heard Keith moan, "have you never heard of communication? And talking to people like a normal human being?"

Shiro rolled his eyes, finally cutting up a sausage with a passive aggressive glare. "Fine, I'll talk to him."

"Great! Can we fuckin' eat now-?"

"Good Morning everyone!"

Pidge looked to be seconds away from tossing her sandwich across the room.

"Morning Allura," Shiro said tiredly, filling in for the group around him who seemed to have fallen into an awkward silence, "you seem... awake."

He cringed at his own awkwardness, but Allura just smiled as she set her tray down at the end of the table. "I'm rested," she replied, one hand moving to scratch at her face before finding her knife and fork on the tray.

Hunk snorted a laugh. "At least one of us is."

She shot him a glare over the table, before beginning to easily cut up her toast. "Is everyone ready for the field trip tomorrow?"

Field trip?

Tomorrow?

"I'm- I'm sorry," Shiro started, picking up a mug of coffee from his tray, "the field trip's tomorrow? I thought they were a Friday event-"

"This is a weekend camp, Shiro," Allura reminded him, one eyebrow raising, "we're going tomorrow, before the kids leave on Monday."

Shiro felt himself groan, taking a dramatic sip from his mug; they had the field trip to a local amusement park every camp, both weekend and week long, and somehow he was never prepared for them.

He was never going to get to talk to Lance at this rate.

"Don't look so pissed," he heard Hunk say, and the other leader jabbed him in the arm playfully, "Lance is going!"

"Really, Hunk?" Pidge taunted, standing to take her tray away, "you're sinking to his level?"

Shiro flashed Hunk an apologetic grin, rising to his feet and taking his tray with him. It wasn't at all that he wanted to get away from the conversation - morning activities started in ten anyway - but it was a nice bonus.

The grin that Lance shot him from the other side of the canteen, warm and tender and just brief enough to be nice, was almost worth it.

* * *

 

The field trip arrived unreasonably quickly.

It hardly felt like a minute since Camp had started, and yet Shiro was still ushering kids onto a sweltering coach to drive them to the local amusement park.   
Thankfully, there weren't too many of them; Black Camp was sharing a coach with Red Camp, and both were fairly small groups. Keith had already settled his group, and was sat near the back with his earbuds already blaring; Shiro had hoped to sit next to him, but Ulaz, the camp nurse, had stolen his usual seat to rummage through Keith's safeguarding paperwork.

Looks like he'd be sitting alone then, he thought as he made his way up the steps into the coach-

"Hey, wait for me, sorry!"

Shiro sharply turned on the step, just in time to see Lance running over to the coach. He already looked exhausted, clutching the shoulder straps of a galaxy rucksack, and-  
Were they Mickey ears on his head?

"Sorry," Lance apologised again once he got nearer, panting for breath as he wearily climbed the steps behind Shiro, "forgot my ears, see?"

"You do realise we aren't going to Disney," Shiro pointed out with a smile as they slid into the two empty seats at the front of the bus, and Lance pouted.

"Really?" He asked sarcastically, and Shiro felt himself smile, "I do _try_ to read the itineraries, Shiro, I know where we're going."

"Reassuring," Shiro replied with a wry smile, and Lance playfully punched his arm.

"Excuse you," Lance said with a laugh, looping his arm with Shiro's as the coach took off, "I'll have you know that I'm read up on everything, from ride quality to every page of your boring-ass risk assessments!"

Shiro raised an eyebrow, about to reply with some sarcasm before the feeling of Lance gripping his arm seared though his mind.  
"Dare I ask why you're here anyway? I didn't think the tutors usually came - not- not that I don't value your company or anything-"

Lance's smile faltered for a split second, before he somehow beamed even harder. "I asked," he stated in a sing-song, "and administration said yes, so here I am! I'm afraid you're stuck with me all day though."

"I could think of worse things," Shiro replied, feeling a small smile spread across his face as he pulled his arm up, "when we get there, the kids are let loose, so, if you were up for it-"

"Are you suggesting date number two?"   
Lance's hand linked with his, fingers lacing between Shiro's own perfectly.

"I- I think- yes," Shiro finally stuttered out, catching sight of Lance's tender smile, "you can show me all the good rides - I'm clueless, see."

Lance laughed at that, eyes bright and wide. "It'd be an honour! I also know the best restaurant in the park and the best dishes to get there-"

At some point in the conversation, Lance's glittery blue mouse ears had started to slip down the back of his head.

"Your ears," Shiro started, and broke the warm grip around his hand as he reached up to correct them, "they're slipping."

Thankfully, Lance held still as Shiro gently positioned them back on Lance's head, securing them behind his ears properly so Shiro didn't scratch his skin. They suited him, even if he did look a little ridiculous - that dark blue really brought out his gorgeous skin tone, and those bright, ocean-deep eyes-

That was when Shiro realised they were almost nose-to-nose.

"Thanks," Lance whispered, and Shiro could nearly see the blush settle on his cheeks, "I didn't even realise."

They were _so close_.

They were also on a bouncy coach full of kids, and Shiro was fairly sure Keith was watching for blackmail opportunities.

With a sheepish smile, he pulled back, settling back into his seat as Lance linked their hands again.

They didn't say a word until the coach drew up in the car park, and Shiro was ushered to his feet as the kids grew restless behind them.

"Okay, so before we let you loose, some ground rules!" He said loudly, and was met by a resounding grumble, "you're allowed to roam freely, and you're all given a free meal ticket with your admission, so it's up to you to get food. However, please stay in groups of three or more! If any of the adults see you guys walking around alone or in pairs, you're gonna' have to hang with us until you see some more friends, okay?"

A murmur of understanding travelled through the bus, and Shiro decided that was enough for him, nodding at Keith as he started handing the admission tickets out.

"Am I allowed to hang out with you or do we need a third wheel?" Lance asked cheekily once Shiro returned to his seat.

Shiro grimaced, before shaking his head. "Thankfully not."

* * *

 

Admittedly, it look longer than Shiro wanted to get through the admission gates; there was an issue with the validity of the tickets, and Shiro was fairly sure he would've lost his patience with the on-site manager if it weren't for Lance's constant hand on the small of his back. Keith was busy laughing on the other side of the barrier, which wasn't helping anyone.

Finally they got through, and after one final roll call, the group was allowed to spread, leaving Shiro and Lance on a bench together; Keith and Allura had already gone to drag Hunk and Pidge off to the larger rides, and Ulaz had made himself comfortable at the Starbucks near the entrance. It was kind of weird, them finally being alone after an hour and a half of being on a stuffy coach, but Lance was already stretching in some mock preparation.

"You gotta' get ready for the trek," he explained with a grin when he caught Shiro's odd glance, "what? Theme parks are a marathon in a cartoonish, sugary disguise Shiro, you need to be prepared!"

"I'll take your word for it," Shiro replied with a gentle laugh, turning away to consider the park before them, "what do you want to do first?"

Lance shrugged, before reaching to take his bag off and rummaged though to produce a park map that he'd picked up at the gate. "Well, we have to start small - y'know, like save the roller coasters until last? We could do the teacups, they seem close."

Shiro nodded, walking off to where Lance said the Teacups were, and held out his hand for Lance to take. "C'mon then, tea me up."

"You might get rather soaked," Lance replied with a wink, taking Shiro's hand as he caught up, "dunked as well."

"What can I say?" Shiro said with a laugh, "I'm prepared to go under."

He heard Lance splutter somewhere behind him, and he squeezed his hand gently. "C'mon, we have to get there before the queue gets too long."

"You're gonna march me around here, aren't you?" Lance grumbled, and Shiro felt himself smile innocently.

“Of course not,” he said with fake concern, grinning as Lance slowly raised an eyebrow, “we’ll stop for five minute breaks whenever you need them-“

“Let’s just go on the damn ride.”

Shiro nodded, letting Lance drag him by the hand in the direction of the teacups.

Hopefully, this would be a fun day.

* * *

 

The teacups were better than Shiro thought they were going to be.

Sure, they were going at a fairly sedentary pace when they entered the queue, but once Lance got a hold of the centre wheel, it felt like a completely different ride.

“Are you okay?” Lance asked gently as Shiro stumbled off with a shaky grin, and pouted at his insistent nod. “Well, if you’re sure.”

After that, Lance dragged him on a frisbee ride that admittedly was no where near as bad as it looked, and a smaller roller coaster on the far side of the part. It might have been for kids - Shiro wasn’t quite sure yet, but it’s gentle nature and the weird look the ride controller gave them when they rocked up at the station suggested so - but it was fairly fun anyway.

“We can ride the big one next,” Lance said with a grin, and the steel coaster loomed behind the trees.

“Is it a good one?” Shiro asked hesitantly, and Lance nodded, wide grin turning into a daring smirk.

“One of the best.”

* * *

 

Lance wasn’t lying about that, either; it was a smooth ride, once they got past the long queue and sweltering sunshine. Shiro wasn’t one for roller coasters usually, but there was something about Lance’s enthusiasm when they were ratcheting up the first hill that seemed to change things.

He bought their picture later, when Lance wasn’t looking to put his ears back on after the attendant forced him to take them off, from the booth at the end. It came out as a small keychain, their grinning faces on from earlier when the coaster docked a fast turn, and he vowed to attach it to his car keys once he got home.

“I’m hungry,” Lance whined once he returned to his side, and pulled the map out once again, “there’s tons of eatery’s around the lake, want to go there?”

“I’m in your hands,” Shiro replied easily as his stomach growled at the thought of food, “take me to your larder.”

Taking his hand gently to start the walk round to the lake, Lance grinned. “Your dish is my command!”

“God, you’re terrible.”

“Says you, hypocrite!”

Eventually, they found a small pizza restaurant on the far side of the lake that thankfully wasn’t full of kids claiming free tokens. The coupon wasn’t valid here, a voice in the back of Shiro’s mind screamed, but he was happy to treat Lance, maybe just like a proper date.

They found a seat on the outside terrace, shaded from the sun but with just enough breeze that they didn’t feel cold. The lake was gorgeous from this angle - Shiro could hardly tell they were in the middle of an amusement park in the height of summer, with only the gentlest of buzzes from beyond the trees indicating the rush of the roller coaster.

“Are those pedal boats?” Shiro mused once Lance came back from ordering, “they look nice.”

Sure enough, there was a small dock next to a mock old-fashioned boating house, lined with green and red pedal boats that seemed to resemble dragons. He hoped they were up for rent; a trip around the lake, and the small island in the middle, would be a nice end to the trip, if just a bit of a laugh.

“We can rent one later if you like,” Lance replied, and he felt a hand rest on top of his on the table, “my treat.”

“Lance, I-“

“You paid for dinner,” Lance said, calmly but with just enough assurance that Shiro couldn’t argue, “I wanna’ do this for you - you’ve been looking at those since we got here, I did see.”

Shiro frowned, and averted his eyes quickly. It was kind of stupid, now that he thought about it; Lance obviously liked the high octane stuff, maybe another ride would be best-

“Don’t be like that,” Lance suddenly said with a laugh, and Shiro looked up to see him smiling happily, “I used to drag my parents on those every time I saw them.”

“They’re fun,” Shiro said lamely, feeling Lance squeeze his hand in time with his speaking, “my mom used to love them- sorry, I- I think our Pizza’s here.”

Mercifully, the waitress had arrived with their pizza, which did look rather delicious - Lance had objected on ‘moral grounds’ to his Hawaiian, as if his massive meat feast was any better.

“How long do we have until we have to gather the troops?” Lance asked, already tucking into his pizza with gusto.

Shiro shrugged, unlocking his phone only to see they only had an hour until leaving time.

Once he factored in eating, moving, and walking back to the entrance, there was no where near enough time to ride the pedal boats as well.

“An hour,” he replied simply, putting his phone away to see Lance swallow and frown.

“We’re not gonna’ have enough time then.”

Shrugging, Shiro started cutting his pizza, loading a decent amount onto his fork. “It’s fine, there’s other boating lakes around, we can find another one when we have more time.”

“It’s a date,” Lance quickly said with a grin, and-

Did it suddenly become incredibly hot in here?

“You don’t have my number,” he suddenly said, and handed his phone over for Shiro to enter his details into a new contact, “We have a free week after pickup tomorrow, right? Give me a call once you’re free, we could meet or hang out-“

“I’d like to do more than ‘hang out’, if I’m being honest,” Shiro replied, and apparently it was now Lance’s turn to blush.

Apparently, Lance blushing from ear to ear was not a sight Shiro would ever tire of.

“Deal! I mean, I’ll only see you the week after anyway. There’s a week-long camp afterwards, right?”

Shiro nodded, fork halfway to his mouth, before stopping and putting it down. “I thought you were a temp? Are you staying all summer?”

“Dude, seriously?” Lance spluttered, face smoothing in surprise, “I got the job completely, I’m here from every year now until they get sick of me or I leave.”

“We’d never get sick of you,” Shiro replied gently, “please, stay.”

Sat on that terrace, eating pizza opposite possibly the most beautiful man on Earth with glittery Mickey ears that seemed to catch the setting sun, Shiro realised he hadn’t wanted a camp to be over sooner.

Hopefully, Lance would keep his promise.

Hopefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The park here was supposed to be a general, un-themed Six Flags style place - I could’ve sworn there was a SF Park with a lake in it, but idk :’)  
> The dragon pedal boats, however, were inspired by a little boating lake in a town on the Yorkshire coast that me and my family used to go to a lot - whoever guesses where it is gets a cookie or smth, I guess :’D
> 
> Sorry if this seemed a bit rushed, but thank you for reading anyway!!!!


	3. A splash of colour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three days later, Lance finally asks Shiro out.
> 
> Anyone up for a paint run?
> 
> (Week 3: Show Your colours!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeet
> 
> I’m tired, have some fun with powder paint :D
> 
> Also a paint rave, yay!
> 
> Enjoy :D

Two days later, Shiro wasn't feeling too hopeful.

Camp had ended on the Monday with barely any fuss, kids leaving in flocks as parents and school buses arrived to take them home. Shiro stood for about three hours that day, waving off kids and accepting the small donations of sweets and hugs from the ones that had particularly enjoyed themselves.

It had been an exhausting weekend, but one he didn't regret; he'd met Lance, spent time with his friends, actually earned some money. All in all, it seemed okay.

He left the camp that Monday night with a smile playing on his face, waving to Keith out the window of his car as he finally drove away from the car park. Leader beds were decent, a standard that was a little better than what the campers had to deal with, but his back was thankful for the mere thoughts of his own bed back at his flat.

It's not like they'd be gone very long either; they all had to be back by Sunday to start preparing for next Monday's camp, so he'd only go a week at most alone. And anyway, Keith lived a block away, and he'd hosted his end-of-Camp party again - a codename for the five leaders watching disney movies in the cinema room that he somehow snagged with his new flat.

So, Shiro had only been alone for a little while, then.

He glared at his phone for what felt like the millionth time that day.

No new messages.

It was Wednesday, and Lance still hadn't called him, despite saying he would.  
He'd call Lance himself if he could, but Lance had his number, not the other way around

Maybe he had just forgotten?  
It wasn't outside the realm of possibility; Lance seemed like a busy guy, probably one with a lot of friends and house parties every other day. He'd probably been slipping between buddies, making up for the weekend he missed. Altea City did have a lot of clubs after all, he'd probably got caught up there.

Or he went to go visit his family? He did mention a large family in the next state over - not the furthest distance in the world but still quite a road trip. He'd be over there for a couple of days at least, so there was no way Shiro could see him until he got back.

Or he just decided against it.  
It wouldn't be the first time Shiro was let down, and it probably wouldn't be the last.

He settled into his couch with a sigh, pulling up Netflix on his laptop.

Maybe there would be something interesting on this time.

* * *

 

_**[7:30am] Unknown:**  
Do you know what a paint run is?_

Well, this was new. Shiro had experienced his fair share of weird text messages, but this was one of the most confusing. It may be related to how it woke him up on a Thursday morning, but still.

_**[7:32am] Shiro:**  
I am familiar with the concept. Who is this?_

_**[7:32am] Unknown:**  
O darn! It's Lancey Lance :3 this is the camp leader of my dreams right?_

_**[7:33am] Lancey Lance:**  
And by that I mean Shiro soz :D_

A warmth shot through Shiro's chest, unbridled and affectionate at Lance's text. Of course Lance would call him something cheesy like that, he didn't really know what he expected.

_**[7:33am] Shiro:**  
You're correct, hotshot, what can I do for you?_

_**[7:34am] Shiro:**  
I believe you said something about a paint run_

Organised runs weren't usually his thing, if he was being totally honest - there was too many people in one space, and he could never seem to get out of the starting clump. If Lance asked him, though, Shiro would happily sign up to a flight to Kerberos with him.

_**[7:34am] Lancey Lance:**  
O yeah!!!!!!!!!!_

_**[7:35am] Lancey Lance:**  
There's 1 going down in a farm just outside Altea, would u like to come? :D_

Well, it wasn't like he was going to refuse.  
The twisting, thriving warmth in his chest would probably have burned him alive otherwise, searing through veins and arteries like wildfire.

_**[7:35am] Shiro:**  
Definitely :)_

_**[7:36am] Lancey Lance:**  
Awesome!!!!!!!!! :D_

_**[7:36am] Lancey Lance:**  
I'll pick you up at 8:30? The whole thing starts at 9, and is only an hour or two long, so we could grab some food afterwards :D_

_**[7:36am] Shiro:**  
Sounds perfect, I'll see you at 8:30_

With that, he quickly typed out his address and clicked the charger back into his phone, setting it back on the desk with a sigh. It buzzed in reply, but Shiro ignored it as he fell back against the bed; his heart had decided to race in his chest, thumping against his rib cage in anticipation. Now that the anxiety of Lance ever calling him had faded away, it was replaced by the jarring, stabbing fear of the event ahead.

He had heard of paint runs, and he knew they usually involved getting dowsed in fistfuls of powder paint by whoever was tired enough to stand at the sides of the track, but he'd never actually taken part in one. Allura did one a few years ago, and it took a week to wash it out of her hair.

Before he could stop it, his mind wandered to Lance, jogging through clouds of blues and yellows. He'd probably be sweaty  - the weather forecast was looking pretty muggy - but somehow he was gorgeous anyway, his running top plastered to his front and his fingers laced with Shiro's. Maybe there would be medals, or maybe not, but he'd accept one like a hero, letting the bronzed metal glint in the sun as it hung around his neck.

The clock buzzed next to him, and he snapped back to reality forcefully.

But he had to move soon. Lance was picking him up at half eight, and with forty minutes to go, he wasn't even out of bed yet.

* * *

 

Lance, he discovered, was a mystery.

He turned up at Shiro's apartment block ten minutes late, dressed in stereotypical eighties style exercise gear that seemed to glow from where Shiro saw him out of his second floor window. He also drove a powder blue Beetle, with a door that didn't quite close properly judging by how many times he had to slam it.

"Lance!" Shiro called, face morphing into a grin as Lance caught him leaning out of the window, "do you want to come up?"

Lance shook his head, gesturing down at the pavement. "Nah, you need to come down here!" He shouted back, lifting his sunglasses to reveal glittery makeup that sparkled in the morning sun, "also, you might need to change your shirt!"

Shiro looked down at his black shirt with a frown, leaning out the window again. "Why?"

"Black doesn't catch the paint well! Get a white one!"

With a shrug, Shiro ducked back inside his bedroom, swinging his cupboard door open with one hand as he tried to remove his shirt with the other. Did he even own a white shirt?

Apparently he did.

A tank top, admittedly, but a white shirt nonetheless.

Hopefully Lance would be okay with him having his arms out for today.

Finally, he got it comfortably on, grabbing his keys from off the counter and practically racing out the door. They were definitely going to be late, between Lance showing up late and Shiro spending ages changing shirts, and there was no way in hell that they'd be able to get out of Altea by nine.

To top it all off, the elevator wasn't working; sure, running down the stairs was probably faster anyway, but not by much.

By the time Shiro was out of the building, Lance was back in his car, revving the engine whilst Shiro sprinted down the steps.

"You'll have to give it a slam," he advised as Shiro pulled the passenger door open with a heaving breath, "she's a bit temperamental like that."

He hoped he wasn't imagining the flush that settled underneath Lance's glitter markings, or a slight break in his voice as Shiro appeared at the window.

Thankfully, it only took two tries to get the damn thing to click, but Shiro couldn't shake the fear it would spring open again somewhere down the freeway.

"How far away is this farm?" He asked once his breathing had slowed, and Lance grinned as he pulled out into the road.

"About half an hour," he said a Shiro fell back in the seat, "don't worry, they take late people, we'll be fine."

"If you're sure," Shiro replied as Lance turned out of the road, "I know the basics, but what are we actually doing?"

Lance smirked, turning to him with a wink before facing back to the road. "Well, the lowdown is that we run around a track and get pelted with powder paint as we go, but you knew that," he explained, taking one hand off the steering wheel to wave it around in the air, "but getting the end is where the real party starts."

A party?

"Dare I even ask?" Shiro asked with a breathy laugh, raising one eyebrow as Lance returned to driving.

"You'll see, you'll see." One of Lance's hands moved to rest on Shiro's knee, patting it gently in reassurance. "It's not so much of a party as it is a free-for-all - do you trust me?"

The hand on his knee was searing on hypersensitive skin, and Shiro could feel every movement.

The urge to link their hands together was almost unbearable.

"Of course."

It fell silent after that, Lance focusing on driving with one hand whilst the other remained firmly on Shiro's knee; occasionally he would stroke his thumb over Shiro's dry skin, or drum rhythms with light taps of his fingers.

Shiro's mouth was too dry to talk anyway, so he resulted in laying one hand over Lance's on his knee. He half expected Lance to pull away, go back to driving with an awkward laugh and an averted gaze, but instead he spread his fingers to let Shiro slot his between them.

A warmth decided then to spread through his body again, lighting nerve endings on fire and bringing a tingling heat to his cheeks as Lance turned his palm to properly hold hands.

"You okay?" He asked quietly, taking his eyes off the mostly empty road to glance at Shiro.

Shiro nodded, squeezing the hand in his gently. "I'm great."

Lance grinned, squeezing his hand once in reply, before suddenly turning into a gap in the fence. "I think this is it?" He said with a frown, "Hunk usually drives, y'see, but he's out with his parents this week."

"This is filling me with confidence," Shiro drawled sarcastically, before Lance pulled his hand away to playfully punch his arm.

"Uh, rude? You can walk home later for that," he countered, frowning as Shiro stifled a laugh, "there's other cars here, I think we're good- look, a space!"

Before Shiro could reply, Lance was parking up against a hedge between two trucks, tongue poking out of his mouth in concentration.

And all Shiro's dumb brain could think of was how cute Lance looked.

* * *

 

Once they got out of the main parking field - which was a harder job than Shiro thought it was going to be - it was clear just how popular of an event this was.

"See?" Lance asked proudly as they made their way over to the crowd of people who were signing up to get shirt numbers, "I told you we were in the right place!"

"I never doubted you for a second, Captain," Shiro replied playfully, as Lance pouted and head butted his shoulder, "what? I'm telling the truth!"

Lance rolled his eyes, standing up as they got closer to the front of the queue. "Of course, totally."

* * *

 

The race itself was fairly uneventful.  
It was just a run through a field, if Shiro was being perfectly honest, since there weren't that many times when he actually got covered in paint. Parts of his shirt were a little blue, or gently spattered with purple and red, but not much of it stuck to his skin or hair.

Lance seemed to come away with even less colour than he did, but he wiped it out of his eyes anyway, careful not to disturb what remained of his glitter markings.

"See, this is what I mean about the end being more exciting than the actual run," he said with a grin, grabbing Shiro's hand and leading him from the finish line and towards the buzz of activity on the other side of some trees.

"Lance?" He asked gently, frowning slightly as the noise got louder, "where are we going?"

"You'll see."

He certainly saw.

On the other side of the trees was what Shiro could only describe as a mass of people, jumping and dancing and singing to some throwback songs played over some huge speakers. Every now and then, a spurt of colour would erupt from the crowd, coating everyone below as they cheered.

"C'mon!" Lance called, and, before Shiro had time to argue, grabbed his wrist to draw him into the crowd.

It was hot, so hot, in the crowd, and people were knocking into him in every direction, but Lance kept his focus, beckoning him forwards with a curl of his finger and a tug around his wrist.

That was when blue seemed to cover his face, bright and bold, clearing to reveal a determined looking Lance with a bucket in one hand and blue powder in the other.

"Oh," Shiro replied slowly, eyeing a bucket of purple powder that was in danger of being kicked, "it is on."

With that, he grabbed a handful of purple and launched it at Lance, who screamed at it splattered against his side.  
He retaliated, a handful of blue coating Shiro's left leg as he laughed evilly and threw another, and before he knew it, every colour he could imagine was around him.

A clump of yellow hit into his shoulder, whilst a green dust wafted over his shoulders as something hit against his back. Pinks and reds filled the air, and Lance chucked another bunch of blue at his head as Shiro upended what remained in the bucket over Lance.

"Dude!" He called, wiping purple out of his eyes as he struggled for breath against laughter, "I'm all purple now, rude!"

That wasn't entirely true, Shiro noticed as the song swapped from a thumping bass line to a more gentle bride. Instead, Lance was a mix of every colour, with purple hair and a red shirt, yellow tinted shorts and green coating his previously white trainers. Even his fingernails were a riotous mix of every colour, and each burst of hue blended on his smooth skin like water.

"You look great," Shiro replied weakly, taking a step towards Lance as pink exploded around them again.

"Thanks," Lance replied with a chuckle, "you're not looking too bad yourself, y'know."

Shiro reached out slowly, taking Lance's colour-dowsed in his own. "Thanks for that," he joked, stepping closer to Lance until they were practically chest to chest.

Lance, meanwhile, had frozen up in his hands, eyes fixed on a point on the ground over Shiro's shoulder.

Oh fuck, had he read this wrong?

Maybe Lance wasn't actually here for this, and he really did just want to hang. Maybe Shiro had gone too quickly, moved before Lance was ready. Maybe he didn't actually want this-

"Hey Shiro?" Lance asked, voice suddenly barely audible above the music.

"What's up? You're not looking to-"

"Can I kiss you?"

Shiro's lungs didn't seem to register oxygen anymore.

"Shiro?"

Right now, with colour exploding around them to the beat of the music, Lance was gorgeous.

"Hey, I'm sorry-"

Lance's face had fallen, and his grip on Shiro's hands was loosening.

No.

With that, Shiro surged forwards to capture Lance's lips with his. His hands slipped from Lance's hands to his shoulders as another cloud of red encapsulated them, smothering and enclosing until it felt like they were the only people there.

Finally, _finally_ , Lance kissed him back, and it was extraordinary.

His hands appeared around Shiro's middle, tugging him forwards until their chests were touching. Lance's head twisted, slotting against Shiro's as their lips moved together and paint-coated hands roamed across tank top.

It was drugging, ecstatic and yet sapping, to move against Lance like this, to kiss him like this as eyelids fluttered shut and fingers slid through the soft chestnut hair at the nape of his neck.

Maybe there was something in the paint.

Who knew.

Who cared.

Lance was the first to break it, forcibly pushing away with a ragged pant.

"That should not be legal," he said breathlessly, practically falling into Shiro's arms, "I think I've just seen the light."

Shiro laughed quietly, still gasping for breath himself as he pressed another kiss into Lance's hair. "Sorry."

He could feel Lance laugh against him, a rumble that reverberated through his chest. "You've got a bit of - I don't know," Lance started, before pushing off and gesturing to his own lips.  
Sure enough, they were a mixed mash of colours - both the purple that coated Lance's face from where he had the bucket dumped on him, and the twist of colours that had been on Shiro's face, a mix of green and yellow and pink.

"I'm guessing I'm a little purple," he mused with a laugh, and Lance grinned in front of him.

"Wanna' little more purple in your life?" He joked, and Shiro barely had time to nod before Lance was pressed up against him once again.

Part of him worried about the people around him, but as Lance hummed against his lips, he found he didn't care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y’all for reading!!!


	4. A cliff with a view

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance treats Shiro to dinner as a summer storm rolls in.
> 
> (Week 4: weather/climate!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeet good Monday y’all!   
> (I think I have this schedule thing down now :0)
> 
> Have some takeaway in the back of a car, and have fun!

Hopefully Lance didn't mind getting paint in his car.

"That was fantastic," Shiro sighed, running a hand through powder-coated hair as he practically collapsed into the passenger seat, "thank you Lance, seriously."

Lance shot him a flirty grin, frowning briefly to slam the door before turning to Shiro once again. "What was? The paint run or kissing me-?"

"Both," he replied quickly, clicking his seatbelt in and looking up at Lance next to him, "but emphasis on the latter."

Instantly, Lance blushed gorgeously, hands gripping the steering wheel. "Hey, wow, thanks," he stuttered, fiddling with the key in the ignition, "I mean, kissing you wasn't the point of today but, like, it was fantastic? Like, woah, thank you, I mean-"

"Lance." Shiro leaned over, placing one hand on top of his on the steering wheel gently. "I loved it, you don't need to ramble."

Lance nodded once, moving his free hand to sandwich Shiro's. "I- I had fun too."

The car park was quiet, practically empty. They had been a few of the last to leave the clearing once the DJ called the end of the event, once the sun had passed overhead and Shiro's stomach was starting to rumble from missing lunch. It had gone four in the afternoon by the time they stumbled back to the car; they'd lost track of time in the blur of colours and people. They'd sung until their throats were hoarse, kissed until Shiro was pretty sure their lips were incredibly swollen.

All in all, it had been the perfect day.

The car itself was quiet - him and Lance were comfortably close, and part of him was screaming to squeeze Lance's hand and ask to kiss him again-

"So, what did you have planned next?" Shiro asked, quickly placing his head against against the headrest as his stomach protested again, "I hope you don't mind me saying that I'm rather hungry."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Lance replied, wide eyes being replaced by a grinning, knowing look, "I was thinking, right - how does takeaway and a picnic on the cliffs sound to you?"

Shiro grinned, relaxing into his seat. "Sounds perfect."

"I hope you like it," Lance started, firing up the engine and manoeuvring the car out of the parking field, "I know a really good joint on the road up - it's a little place, but they do the best burgers, better than any chain I've ever been to."

"Really?" Shiro said with a hum, folding his hands in his lap, "I'm looking forward to it - it must be good if it has your seal of approval."

Lance flushed, shooting him a sideways grin as he lifted one hand off the steering wheel to scratch his face. "You might recognise the sous chef as well, but I don't know if he's working today," he continued, eliciting a hum of interest from Shiro, "I'll pull his arm, get Shay to make the secret menu for us."

"Well, if it's secret, it must be good," Shiro mused as they turned back into the main road, but a sudden rumble from his stomach cut him off.

He looked over to see Lance laughing gently. "I'll drive fast Shiro, control your stomach," he replied playfully, and Shiro pouted as he put one hand on his stomach protectively.

"You say that as if I can control this," Shiro grumbled as his stomach rumbled in harmony, "rude."

Laughing again, Lance settled back into his seat, hands drumming to an imaginary beat as he followed signs to the cliff road. It was a gentle sight, of Lance drumming and humming to whatever music was in his head; it was probably some crap pop tune they had heard at the paint rave, but when he sang them, it changed Shiro's perspective of music completely. It was now a soft tune rather than loud and abrasive, something he'd listen to willingly rather than being forced to by whatever radio he was listening to at the time.

There was only one problem with this plan - the rather full looking black cloud that had made its way over the city.

"Quiznak, it looks like we're in for a storm," he heard Lance muse next to him, who seemed to have noticed the cloud at the same time, "there goes the plan of putting a blanket on the bonnet and watching the sunset - maybe we should look for a restaurant?"

"We can still have takeout," Shiro suggested, suddenly highly aware of his paint stained clothes and sweaty skin, "we can just eat it in the car rather then out there, and we can watch the storm roll over the city."

Lance nodded in consideration, flicking an indicator on as they pulled into the car park of what looked like a small family diner. "Or I could pop the trunk open and we sit there with the blanket," he suggested, wry grin spreading over his face, "handbrakes prevent optimal cuddling, see, which is necessary for all takeout dates, and I don't want any split soda in my baby."

He parked without a complaint, smoothly driving into a space with a confident movement, and Shiro clicked the door open as soon as the thrum of the engine stopped.

"Someone's eager," he heard Lance remark behind him, "don't worry big boy, you'll get your food."

He was trying very, very hard not to show just how blushed his face was after that nickname.

Thankfully, it wasn't raining yet, and Lance reached down to take Shiro's metal hand as they pushed open the doors of the diner.

Cool air instantly hit him, a stark contrast from the close heat outside, that make his skin ripple with goosebumps. He was also hit by the strong scent of herbs and marinade, one that he assumed was coming from the kitchens.

"Lance!" A voice called suddenly from within the diner, and Shiro snapped out of his thoughts to see a rather beautiful lady walking towards them, menus in hand.

"Welcome back!" She said excitedly, and Lance gently moved his hand away to pull her into a huge hug.

"It's been ages Shay!" He replied, just as happily, and Shiro's heart swelled at the sight, "how are you?"

"We're very well, thank you," she - Shay, Shiro committed to memory - replied, bopping her head slightly in acceptance, "how are you? And who is this? I haven't seen him before."

"Oh, this is Shiro!" Lance said suddenly, taking her wrist to lead her over to where Shiro was standing, "we met at camp, see."

He grimaced as Shay seemed to consider him, taking in his face before humming in either thought or distain. In his stained and sweaty clothes, he suddenly felt very self-conscious.

"Nice to meet you," he offered awkwardly, holding out his hand over his chest in greeting, and Shay broke out into a small smile.

"It is nice to meet you too," she replied, smile spreading over her face as they began to walk to the service counter, "apologises if I appeared rude to you, I have been Lance's friend for a long time and it is important to make sure his choice of partner isn't an asshole."

She shot Lance a subtle glare, and he cringed next to Shiro.

"That was one time, Shay, and she was gone within the week," he said with a groan, much to Shay's apparent amusement, "and if you want a second opinion of Shiro, ask Hunk! He knows him as well."

Shiro frowned, drawing up to Lance as they reached the service counter. "Wait, Hunk works here?"

Lance nodded, glancing up at the menus hanging around the counter and directing Shiro's mind to deciding what he wanted to eat.

However, as if on cue, Hunk's familiar face appeared from within the kitchen, smiling widely the moment he saw them. "Lance, Shiro! Hey!"

"Hunky bear!" Lance called back, pressing himself up and over the service counter, "I didn't realise you were working, I thought you had the day off? How are El and Em?"

Hunk laughed gently, rolling up the sleeves on his chef's coat. "Sal called in sick, and Mom's hotel isn't that far away, so I offered to take the shift," he replied easily, slapping Lance's hand in a friendly welcome, "and they're great! Mom told me to tell you that she wants you around again to taste test her tea cake, and Tina's bought you a hat from wherever she went on her work trip, so I think you need to pop in soon."

"Hunk's moms are like, second parents to me," Lance explained to Shiro, noticing his slightly bewildered expression, "hey, maybe I could take you! I'm sure they'd love to meet you. You like food, right? Em could cook for days - that's where Hunkules over here gets his skill from."

Shiro grinned, looking up from the counter to see Lance and Hunk looking at him expectantly. "I'd love to," he said, and saw Hunk's grin spread even wider, "they sound great-"

"Great! Now that that's settled," Lance interrupted, leaning on the counter in some mock business meeting, "we'd like some food to take away, my good man, because we are ravenous."

Hunk folded his arms, raising an eyebrow. "Did you go to the paint rave again and forget about lunch."

Lance's face fell comedically, and Shiro stifled a laugh at Hunk's judgemental tone. "Maybe."

"Lance, you're hopeless," Hunk said with a sigh, turning back into the kitchen, "stay there, I know exactly what you need."

With that, he bustled into the kitchen and out of view, leaving Shiro and Lance alone as Shay wandered off to great some more guests.

"But, I didn't order anything," Shiro said quietly, frowning as he went over the order he had been reciting in his head.

Lance shrugged, shooting him a reassuring grin. "Don't worry, Hunk has this magical power of always knowing what people most want to eat, even if they don't realise it themselves. Trust him, he's not going to poison you."

With that, he looped one hand around Shiro's left, squeezing it gently. "You still okay to eat outside?"

Shiro nodded quickly, hoping his moment of displaced panic hadn't put Lance off, squeezing Lance's hand in reply. "I'm fine, sorry."

Thankfully, the other man smiled, swinging their arms playfully between them as he fished his wallet out of his other pocket. "Don't apologise, it's fine," he replied with a carefree grin, "and before you object, yes, I am paying. You paid for dinner at the park, so I'm paying here, okay?"

"I don't think I have much of a choice here," Shiro said with a raised eyebrow, and Lance nodded one.

"That's because you don't, big guy," Lance quickly said, laying his wallet on the counter to pull his card out without letting go of Shiro's hand, "I would say I'm sorry, but I'm really, really not."

A few minutes later, Hunk reappeared at the service counter, arms laden with two large paper bags. Each one had their names written on in a quick mechanics scrawl, and Shiro let go of Lance's hand to accept his bag; it was warm to the touch and strangely comforting for a bag of fast food, and smelled absolutely divine.

"Well, enjoy that, folk," Hunk said, air of pride in his voice as they accepted their bags, "Lance, you have a Cuban burger - it's like a Cuban sandwich, but in a burger, and I added some mojo in the sauce pot for you - and Shiro, you have a Frenchie - a normal burger, but it's got camembert on it and french mustard in the pot."

Okay, so the camembert burger was not was Shiro was going to order, but judging by the smell coming out of the bag, it was better than whatever he was going to order anyway.

Maybe Hunk really was magic.

"Aw man, thank you so much," he heard Lance say, tapping his card against the card reader before shoving it and his wallet back in his pocket, "how are you so good at guessing peoples orders?"

Hunk shrugged, smile still plastered to his face. "What can I say, it's chef's instinct. Now get out of here before the rain comes!"

With one final thank you, they turned to leave, waving over their shoulder at Hunk and Shay.

"And Guys!" Hunk called, just as they were about to leave, "use protection!"

They left the restaurant without another word.

* * *

 

"Well, here it is, the best viewing spot in Altea!"

As Shiro ducked out of the car, bag of food in tow, he could see why Lance was so proud of this place. From the top of the cliff, he could see for miles, right over the high rise and radio towers to the cliffs on the other side of the bay. He could make out the waves crashing on the marina beach, and the streetlights flickering on one by one as the sky darkened in preparation for the storm, like Christmas lights on a townhouse wall.

"Hey, Shiro," Lance called, breaking him out of his thoughts, "wanna' sit down? I've sorted the blanket out."

When he turned around, he could see that Lance had cleared the trunk, laying a worn, checkered blanket over the inside for them to sit on like some kind of bench. There wouldn't be a lot of space, although Shiro wasn't going to complain about being pressed up against Lance for hours watching the storm roll in.

With a smile and a nod, he sat down next to Lance, wiggling back into the trunk so his feet were lifted away from the floor slightly and his back was flat against the chairs. Lance followed him, and soon they were both snug in the trunk, food bags cradled in their laps.

"I've left the trunk up so the rain won't get us," Lance explained as a breezy chill blew through the car, "although we might wanna' eat soon, this stuff doesn't stay warm for long."

Well, Lance was right about them being the best burgers in Altea.

His was just cheesy enough to not be overpowering, cooked just right between medium rare and well done. Even the fries were good, slightly salted with some herbs that Shiro couldn't name but liked the taste of.

"You were right," he said though a mouthful of burger, groaning slightly from the taste, "these are good burgers."

"I told you so," Lance replied with a smirk, wiping his mouth with a brown napkin, "don't underestimate Hunk, neither his engineering nor his food."

That was when the first droplets of rain began to hit against the car, echoing and drumming against the metal casing. It soon got louder as the storm rolled in, drumming turning into a thrumming cacophony over their heads. Shiro and Lance were still dry, at least for now, letting their feet dangle over slowly dampening ground.

"I love it up here," Lance mused next to him, voice barely above a whisper as the rain hummed around them, "it's just close enough, not so close the city is overwhelming but not too far that you can't see it at all."

He leaned over, resting his head on Shiro's shoulder, a crack of thunder rolling and rumbling somewhere overhead. "Thank you for this," he murmured, "It's been incredible."

"I think I should be thanking you," Shiro replied with a gentle laugh, pushing his now empty bag away to link hands with Lance, "you organised this, after all."

"But you agreed," Lance countered, earning another chuckle from Shiro, "So thank you."

There was a flash of lightning somewhere overhead, and Shiro pushed close to Lance before he could register what was happening.

"Hey, Lance?" Shiro asked gently, winding one arm around Lance's middle, "Can I ask you something?"

"Fire away," Lance replied happily, snuggling into Shiro's chest.

"What are we?"

He felt Lance become still against him, breath momentarily stopping where it was hitting against his arm.

"Well," Lance started, "I hoped we could be boyfriends, but-"

"That's fine by me," Shiro interrupted, taking in the other man's relieved grin, "good to see we're on the same lines here."

Another clap of thunder echoed around the sky, and Shiro felt Lance snuggle against his chest in time with the rumbles.

"Although, can we take it just a little slower?" Shiro asked again, and Lance glanced up in confusion, "I'm just worried that we've been together for a week, and we've already had three dates at least, and-"

"You don't need to explain yourself," Lance said gently, reaching up to cup Shiro's face with his hand, "we can take this as slow as you need. Boyfriends, yeah?"

The rain continued to fall, silver lighting up the grass and the sky, casting streaks of mercury through the trees.

"Yeah," Shiro replied happily, pressing a kiss to Lance's forehead, "boyfriends."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	5. The barbecue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so rushed D: I’m so sorry!!!  
> They have a good heart to heart here, so be prepared for some good H/C. Also: warnings of S7 spoilers. It’s really really not much but I do mention a certain someone who the internet has been buzzing about.
> 
> Enjoy the deep talk!

Shiro didn't see Lance for ages after that.

Lance dropped him at his apartment block once the rain had stopped and the sun had dipped below the horizon. He bid Shiro farewell with a tender but quick kiss on the steps up, and Shiro heard him drive away as the main doors slid open before him.

If he pressed his fingers against his lips, he could still feel the ghost of Lance there, following him around like a lucky charm. He knew it was selfish, but he wanted Lance beside him again; he asked if Lance wanted to come up, if just for a drink, but the other man refused gently.

If this Lance was a drug, he never wanted to stop.

Apparently, Lance had to go out of town after that - his parents were dropping by a nearby city for a few days to visit him - which Shiro could understand. They still texted pretty much everyday though, Lance sending a good morning text and a selfie every morning without fail; Shiro would often bid him goodnight first, and the cycle would repeat.

The problem was, was that Shiro didn't get to see all that much of him at camp that week either.

He assumed that, since this was a week-long camp from Monday to Friday, he would get to see more of Lance. He thought they could share their crappy canteen dinner one night, or have a repeat of their first date over on sunset hill with cold cider and linked fingers.

Instead, he hardly saw Lance all week, reduced to gentle, tender smiles over canteen halls and the careful brush of knuckles whenever Shiro's camp had archery.

"Is something up?" Keith asked gently on the Wednesday evening, turning his back on the group activity slightly to talk to Shiro, "you've been out of it for like, three days now, something must be wrong."

Shiro shook his head gently, mouth twisting in thought. "Nothing's wrong, Keith, don't worry-"

"Hunk and Pidge said Lance is being weird too," he suddenly interrupted, staring intensely up at Shiro, "did you fight? Did something happen?"

"Keith- god, no, we didn't fight," he replied, running an exasperated hand through his hair as Keith folded his arms in expectation, "nothing's wrong, I've hardly seen him to speak to him."

Keith raised an eyebrow, looking briefly over his shoulder as the crowd roared behind them at the camp football game. "So, what happened? Something must have gone wrong to make you so pissy."

"I'm not pissy," Shiro started, before relaxing again as a few of the leaders glared in distain, "I just think he's avoiding me-"

"Why?" Keith countered, clicking his tongue slightly as he took a deep breath of annoyance, "Hunk says he hasn't shut up about you."

"I thought they said he was acting weird-"

"Exactly!" Keith shouted, rocking forwards on the balls of his feet before falling back, "look, just, for the love of god, talk to him?"

"Keith, please," he sighed in reply, breathing deeply and running one hand down his face, "I'll be fine, he's probably busy, it'll all sort itself out soon."

Keith rolled his eye, turning away to click his tongue in distain. "There's the barbecue on Friday evening, for all the leaders? Talk to him then, promise me?"

Well, it wasn't really like he had much of a choice. He had completely forgotten about the barbecue that was held after the end of every week-long camp, despite him going to every single and generally enjoying them.

Hopefully, Lance would be there, he thought as he returned to the group of leaders to quickly lock eyes with the man on the other side of the circle, hopefully.

* * *

 

Friday came quicker than he wanted it to.

It felt like only yesterday he was sat in the main hall waiting for all the new entries to filter in and dump their bags for the welcome talk, and yet now he was waving off the last of the departures with Pidge in the car park.

The barbecue was playing on his mind; he knew Lance had been invited - Pidge said she'd mentioned it specifically to him, just to make sure he'd be there. Apparently, he had said he wouldn't miss it for the world, but a niggling part of Shiro's brain said he wouldn't se him.

This niggling fear was still there when Shiro pulled into the drive outside Allura's family house, a large mansion-style thing on the other side of the campsite that she hosted all their parties at. He parked up next to Keith's bike, frowning at the rusted parts that he hadn't gotten around to fixing yet, and glanced around the drive quickly.

There was no sign of Lance's powder blue Beetle.

Maybe he'd caught a lift with Hunk, maybe he just hadn't got here yet, Shiro wasn't sure, but he certainly couldn't see him as he grabbed the bowl of potato salad off the back seat and made his way into the large garden.

When he finally got there, the barbecue seemed to be in full swing; leaders and tutors were mingling already, eating or holding burgers that Shiro could smell from half a mile away. The familiar crackle of the barbecue itself was roaring away on the patio, manned by an eager looking Hunk who was coated up to the elbows in grease and what looked like sauce.

"Hunk!" Shiro called with a smile, making his way over to the food table to place the potato salad next to the other items, "is Lance here yet?"

Hunk raised an eyebrow, flipping a patty without looking up at him. "Hi Hunk, how are you doing this evening Hunk?" He mimicked sarcastically, and Shiro cringed at the truth in what he was saying, "he'll be here soon - apparently he had to go 'fix his outfit', and knowing Lance, he's gonna' be fashionably late, as per usual."

Shiro frowned, running his hands through his hair in thought. Hopefully Lance wouldn't mind him asking about him, as long as it didn't come off to obsessive.

"Thanks," he replied gratefully, finally breathing as Hunk's face seemed to relax a little bit, "and I'm sorry for being rude, I'm a little tired."

Hunk laughed gently at that, plucking a patty off the barbecue and sliding it into a soft looking white bun. "Here, you're not you when you're hungry," he offered, letting Shiro happily accept the burger, "and it's fine. It's been a week, tensions are running high, it happens! God knows Lance would be even worse if it was the other way around."

"How long are you in charge here?" Shiro asked as Hunk wiped at his forehead with his wrist, "I thought Sal usually ran this."

With a grumble, Hunk rolled his eyes. "He's late, thought he could get me to do his job for him just because I offered to fix the grill for him," he complained, and Shiro offered a sympathetic grimace, "don't get me wrong, I love this, but I wanna' be mingling, y'know?"

His eyes seemed to focus over Shiro's shoulder, on where Allura was inaudibly talking to Pidge and Ulaz with a champagne flute nestled elegantly in one hand.

"Why don't you take a break for a bit?" Shiro suggested, and Hunk frowned in thought, "if people want some more, there's plenty of salad to be had, and I'm sure Sal will turn up soon. This party won't turn to ruin."

With a solemn nod, Hunk placed the tongs back on the table, turning the barbecue off with a defiant flick. "Okay, I'm gonna' go sort myself out," he said, looking down at the stained apron covering what would be an extremely nice waistcoat.

Shiro smiled, taking one final glance over his shoulder. "And talk to her?"

Hunk blushed. "Maybe. Maybe not."

With that, he hustled into the house, leaving Shiro to chuckle with the burger still in his hand.

Admittedly, Allura wasn't the first person Shiro would've imagined Hunk with, but now he was thinking about it, they seemed quite a nice couple. At least, they would be if Hunk could talk her, or Allura talk to him. Maybe if he-

"Hey, Shiro!"

He span on his foot to see Lance running over the patio, bottles of fruity looking wine in hand. He'd dressed up a bit, camp gear replaced by dark, smart shorts and a stark white button down that seemed to make his skin glow even more than usual.

All in all, he looked stunning.

"Shiro?" He heard Lance say, "Earth to Shiro? You okay there?"

"Fine," he replied quickly, feeling the familiar prickle of blush over his cheeks, "I'm fine, sorry, how are you?"

Lance grinned, finally, moving to place the wine bottles on the table before standing back next to Shiro. "Even better now I'm here with you," he said smoothly, not even a hint of nerves in his voice, and Shiro felt his blush dramatically grow up to his ears, "I'm sorry I'm so late though."

Shiro shook his head in what he hoped was reassurance. "You're not the latest," he said with a laugh as Lance stole a bite of his burger, "Sal isn't here yet, don't worry."

Lance visibly relaxed, handing the burger back to Shiro for him to eat. "At least I'm not the last," he replied with a grin, faking wiping sweat off his brow, "I usually am to parties, it's a terrible habit."

He laughed slightly awkwardly, and a silence fell between them, comfortable but expectant. Shiro was aware of the hum of the party around them, gentle and encompassing, but all he could see was Lance in front of him and his mouth went dry as a bone.

"Well, wow, I think I'm just gonna' do the rounds and tell everyone I'm here," Lance said with a stutter, and Shiro blinked in some vague comprehension, "I haven't seen 'Lura in a while, and I need to piss off Pidge at least once a party, so-"  
He trailed off, gesturing over his shoulder at the crowd at the centre of the garden.

"I'll catch up," Shiro replied with a nod, aware his smile wasn't quite reaching his eyes, and Lance skipped off with an awkward grimace.

That hadn't gone well.

Maybe Lance was realising this wasn't for him? Shiro had his fair share of problems, after all, it wouldn't be the first time someone had left him so soon after dating.

He felt his stomach sink, like a lead weight had secured itself in his gut or something, and he threw the half eaten burger in a trash can near the food table.

Hopefully, he could find Keith.

* * *

 

He did, eventually, find Keith, sat on a swinging chair with Pidge a little way over the garden.

"We just need a break," he explained as Shiro appeared on the grass in front of them. He could understand that; the party had hit full swing a little while ago, with what started as soft music being gradually turned up, and attendees becoming more and more drunk by the second.

"Same," he replied simply, moving to lean against one of the frame's wooden legs, "It's starting to get a bit hectic over there."

Next to him, Pidge snorted sarcastically, taking a quick swig from whatever bottle was resting by her feet. "I'm amazed," she said slowly, not looking up to meet Shiro's eye, "I thought you and Lance would be all over each other by now."

It suddenly felt like all the air had been knocked out of Shiro's lungs at once.

He looked over the crowd, catching sight of Lance in the midst of entertaining two tutors he didn't recognise; Shiro couldn't hear him, but they seemed to be enjoying his story, bright-eyed and focused on whatever he was saying.

"Trouble in paradise, Shiro?" He heard Keith ask behind him, and he turned back with a heavy sigh.

"Everything's fine," he urged, ignoring how Pidge snorted again and Keith's eyebrow was inching up his face, "he's allowed to do stuff without me, y'know."

"But you're in your honeymood period!" Pidge shot back, and Shiro suddenly realised whatever she had been drinking had involved alcohol, "you shouldn't be wanting to leave each other's sides!"

A familiar look of realisation glinted in Keith's eye, and he quickly leaned over to whisper something inaudible in Pidge's ear. Whatever he said made a slightly concerning grin split over her face, and she glanced up at Shiro evilly.

"Don't worry," She said, turning away from Shiro to the crowd as his heart seemed to beat madly in his chest, "we'll sort this."

The next thing he knew, Keith was loudly shouting for Lance across the garden, which he seemed to decidedly ignore until one of the tutors gestured in their direction.

"Lance!" Keith tried again, as Pidge started quietly giggling next to him, "Come 'ere a second!"

When Lance finally jogged over, he was glaring daggers at the two on the bench, seemingly frustrated with being torn away from his conversation.

"Look, we were arguing, right?" Pidge started, and Shiro felt himself frown in confusion, "and we were thinking - what's the best bar in Altea?"

Lance, if it was possible, frowned even deeper. "You seriously called me here to settle an argument?" He asked incredulously, squinting slightly in accusation, "I had a good rhythm going over there, they were loving me!"

That was when Lance's gaze briefly locked with Shiro's, and he felt his chest turn to iron.

Pidge shrugged, taking a final swig from her bottle and rising to her feet. "Whatever. I need another drink."

"Can you get me one?" Keith asked, holding his empty bottle out, and Pidge just shook her head, "fine, I'll come with you then."

With that, they both took off to the drinks bar, Keith throwing an arm over Pidge's shoulders as they went.

Lance glanced around expectantly, before shooting Shiro a sheepish smile whilst gesturing back to the crowd. "I think I might just-"

"Lance, actually," Shiro started, throat suddenly drying up as Lance stopped in front of him, "I was hoping we could talk? Just for a bit, you can go again after that if you want."

A flash of anxiety ran over Lance's face, quick but nearly unmissable as he settled onto the now empty bench.  
"Sure," he replied hesitantly, unsure smile settling on his face, "what's up, big guy?"

Well, what was up?

"Have I- Did I do something wrong?" He asked, settling his hands on his knees whilst desperately avoiding Lance's eyes, "I've hardly seen you this week, I was just wondering-"

"What?" Lance barked out, laugh suddenly harsh, "you think I'm having second thoughts?"

Shiro shrugged, and the metal prosthetic became heavy on his arm. "Well, yeah."

He didn’t look up, but he felt Lance shift on the seat next to him uncomfortably. “You say that as if you were expecting it,” Lance murmured, and Shiro felt a hand slide over his where it was gripping the seat, “why the hell were you expecting that?”

“It’s happened before,” Shiro replied simply, and Lance’s hand tightened over his, “admittedly not as soon as this, but it happened.”

“Care to explain what brought this on?” Lance asked, and Shiro saw him place his drink on the floor in the corner of his eye.

“I thought you were avoiding me,” Shiro stated, and Lance’s hand suddenly retracted.

“I was avoiding you?” Lance asked incredulously, and Shiro whipped his head around to see his eyes wide and concerned, “I thought you were avoiding me! Why didn’t you say something?”

Shiro twisted his mouth, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. “Look, I- I’m just- I guess I’m not used to it,” he forced out, cutting his eye contact, “Adam was always more forward than this, I guess.”

“Adam?” Lance suddenly asked, and he was aware of Lance pressing himself against his side, “who was he? A dick ex-?”

“Ex-fiancee,” Shiro corrected, “and he was- he was lovely, but he didn’t want me to go on my second tour. I decided against him and we called off the wedding - he broke up with me a week before I left.”  
He chuckled darkly, subconsciously wiggling the fingers of the prosthetic. “I guess I should have listened.”

“Shiro,” Lance breathed, and he leaned sideways into Lance’s shoulder, “crow, dude, I’m sorry, I didn’t-“

Shiro shook his head, giving Lance an awkward smile. “It’s fine, it’s not exactly well known,” he assured, although Lance still looked incredibly downhearted, “we prefer it that way - he’s happier now, and I’m glad for him, I just-“

“Is that why you asked to take it slowly?” Lance asked, and Shiro nodded as he secured an arm around Shiro’s shoulders, “that’s fair, I’ll up the whole ‘communication’ game from now on.”

He grinned, the first real smile Shiro had seen from him all evening, and a warmth suddenly grew and burned through his veins, like warm wine on a cold winters night. With a gentle movement, he curled his head into the crook of Lance’s neck, feeling one of Lance’s gentle hands twist into the shaved hairs at the back of his head.

“I would share a stupid story about my exes,” Lance said quietly, “unfortunately most of mine either didn’t care or are still my friends.”

Shiro chuckled quietly, reaching over to lace their hands together. “Trust me, those are good things.”

He felt Lance nod, and the rumble of laughter under his cheek. “Wanna’ go get another burger? I think Sal’s got a good stockpile now.”

Shiro grinned. “Sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try to be on time next week :0 sorry


	6. A dip in the sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance invites shiro on holiday after his boss pays for him to spend a research week on a tropical island, and their first day goes swimmingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Week 6 y’all!!!
> 
> Again, sorry this is late :’D
> 
> Enjoy the soft swimming cuddles! I enjoyed writing this :D
> 
> Thank you!!!

**[12:35] Lancey <3:**  
_Hey, can you talk?_

 **[12:35] Lancey <3:**  
_It's not bad, I promise!!!!! :3_

Shiro frowned, picking his phone up from where he had lain it on his desk. He wasn't technically busy - sure, Iverson wanted these trajectories done by Friday, but he was well ahead of schedule.

It was weird to be back at the Galaxy Garrison after what felt like simultaneously the longest and shortest summer ever; Lance had stuck with him, even through into the harsh winter months that blanketed Altea in snow and ice. He probably spent more time in Lance's flat, curled up on his old comfortable couch with hot chocolate and classic movies, than he did in his own over November into February. When they weren't able to see each other, Shiro was sure to call, or at least text whenever he could.

To be honest, he was amazed they lasted this long.

He unlocked the phone, tapping onto Lance's contact and selecting call.

 _"Hey, hot stuff!"_ Came the almost immediate reply, and Shiro leaned back in his chair as a smile spread across his face, _"how're you?"_

"Same old," he answered easily, running one metal hand through this hair and looking down at the mass of papers and calculations in front of him, "work's exhausting, but what's new?"  
He laughed, hearing Lance's familiar chuckle hum through the speaker. "What about you?"

 _"Decent!"_ Lance cheerily replied, and Shiro could practically hear the smile through his voice, _"we've just got a research grant come through, Plax's giving me a trip out to the coral reef in in a month."_

Shiro grinned, leaning forward onto his arms. "That's awesome!" He cheered, and heard a responding hum of pride, "when do you leave?"

 _"Well, that's the thing,"_ Lance started, and Shiro felt the wide grin replaced by a curious frown at the suspense, _"it's June - next month - in a few weeks in fact-"_

"I won't mind, y'know," Shiro said with a raised eyebrow, "we've got a while until the camps this year, and I can survive a week without you."

Lance hummed again, but this time with a hint of hesitation. _"No, listen,"_ He said with a sigh, _"I wanna' know if you want to come."_

"I- Sorry, what?"

 _"Plax is willing to pay board and flights for us both rather than just for me if I worked for free,"_ he explained, _"I'd only have to work one day whilst we're there, leaving six days for us to chill on the beach - like, y'know, a holiday!"_

So six days, alone with Lance in a fancy beach resort, swimming around in huge coral reefs, for free?

It almost sounded too good to be true.

"Wait, you're working for free?" Shiro asked gently, and he hears Lance sigh again.

 _"Well, yeah,"_ he confirmed, and Shiro frowned, _"but I'd only spend it on shit anyway, and you deserve a holiday the most out of all of us."_

It was then that Shiro felt a blush settle over his face - why did Lance have to be so damn thoughtful?

"I'd- I'd love to," he answered, and grinned as soon as Lance's responding cheer echoed through the receiver, "thank you - and thank your boss!"

* * *

 

A month seemed to fly by.

Before Shiro knew it, he was stuffing light, summery clothes in a suitcase and driving down to the local airport to catch a plane to a swanky resort.

He could hardly believe it to be honest.

Lance was waiting for him at the airport, already with a coffee in hand as he stared up at the gate numbers, so much so he hardly noticed Shiro coming up behind him.

"Hey sharpshooter!" He said loudly, and Lance positively squeaked. He whirled round to punch Shiro in the arm, pouting as he drew back to steady his coffee.

"If you had made me spill me coffee, I would've ended you," he said darkly, cradling the cup between his hands, "this cost me four dollars - four dollars for a coffee!"

Shiro laughed, causing Lance's pout to deepen even further. "Hi, welcome to an airport," he stated with a dry hum, "where they can get away with daylight robbery since no one has any other choice."

Lance, if possible, frowned even deeper.

"Do you have the boarding passes?"

Immediately, Lance perked up, nodding enthusiastically and handing Shiro his coffee as he reached to rummage through his bag. "I printed them out before we came," he explained, finally pulling an envelope out of the bag, "all you need to do is drop your bag off, and you're done - we have a while 'till the flight, and security looks chill, so take as much time as you need!"

That was reassuring - airports were awful for his anxiety, with security making up the worst of it, so having more time to get through slowly was definitely going to help.

It didn't take long for Shiro to drop his bag off - even if he did have to get Lance to show him how the machine worked - and soon Lance was leading him up a tall elevator. His passport was securely in his jacket pocket, and Lance was holding onto the boarding passes, so it should have been a breeze.

Surprisingly, it was. The security agents were understanding about his prosthetic, only requiring him to take it off once for a quick x-ray, making it a pleasant change from previous airport experience. He also didn't get any weird looks from people passing by - another common side effect of public transport - and instead was waved through passport control with a good holiday wish from the attendant.

"See, that wasn't so bad," Lance said cheerily as they made their way through duty free to the department lounge, linking their hands together effortlessly, "I think we have like, two hours until the plane - want to grab a bite to eat?"

Shiro grinned happily, squeezing Lance's hand. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

 

Five hours later, and they were standing on hot tarmac waiting for a taxi, and Shiro was sweltering in the setting sun.

He was regretting wearing jeans

"I bet you're wondering why didn't I warn you the Balmeran Islands were this hot?" Lance suddenly suggested, and Shiro turned to see his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his face.

"Something like that," he admitted with a grunt, bringing his free hand up to shelter his eyes from the harsh sun, "how far away is the hotel?"

"Villa," Lance corrected with a wink, "and, once the taxi gets here? About half an hour, since we gotta' get over to the coast."

Half an hour sounded like a long time.

Thankfully, the taxi rolled into the pick up zone a few minutes later, and he followed Lance into the back whilst Lance started explaining directions to the villa.

This was going to be fine.

* * *

 

"Well, here we are!"

With a quick click of the lock, Lance pushed open the wooden door, letting it creak before sunlight flooded into the porch. Gingerly, Shiro followed Lance in, heaving the suitcases over the doorframe and dumping them in the entrance.

It was, despite everything, homely.

The door opened right onto the living area, an open space that was airy and light. Lance immediately fell backwards into the huge plush sofa, closing his eyes and letting the sea air blowing in from the open window gently comb through his hair.

"Comfy?" Shiro asked with a laugh, shrugging off his cardigan to hang it on the bamboo coat stand near the door, and Lance answered with a tired hum.

"Perfect. Leave me here, thanks."

Slipping off his shoes, Shiro made his way over to the sofa to join him, before crashing next to him, tossing on leg over Lance's as he cuddled into his side.

"I see what you mean," he murmured against Lance's neck, and felt the resulting rumble of laughter, "it is incredibly comfy."

It was warm in the room, but not too warm; the air conditioning had activated the moment they walked through the door. Now, it was a much more controlled heat, one that was making him feel rather drowsy.

"We should move," he heard Lance groan, "otherwise I'm gonna' fall asleep here, and not sleep tonight."

With a grunt, he was shifted as Lance moved, and he glanced up to see a hand offered out to him. He happily took it, throwing an arm around Lance's shoulders as he stood.

"So, what are we gonna' do?" Shiro asked gently as they started dragging the suitcases into the - only - double bedroom, "we're going to need to go food shopping at some point tomorrow, unless you want to eat out every night — not like that, stop winking."

"Darn, killjoy," he replied through laughter, warm and full, "but we have a kitchen, I don't see why we wouldn't cook one night."

With a shoulder shove, Shiro pushed into the bedroom; it, like the rest of the villa, was warmly-coloured and wooden, with a huge, squishy looking white king bed in the centre.

"We could find a restaurant tonight, though," he conceded, chuckling slightly as Lance immediately claimed the right side of the bed, "did you have any other plans?"

"I want to go in the sea," Lance replied immediately, pulling a pair of trunks out of his suitcase and spinning around with a grin, "fancy a late night swim?"

Admittedly it wasn't exactly 'late night', but the sun had started to dip below the horizon, and the sky that was once streaks of blues and pinks had begun to bleed black ink through the cloud line. If he glared out of the window, he could just about make out some stars where the east side of the sky had turned completely dark.

"Sure, why not?" He replied finally, relaxing as a grin spread across Lance's face like wildfire, "sounds like a plan."  
He grabbed his suitcase and flipped it on his side, knowing his shorts were on top and would be easy to get at seeing as he almost forgot them.

A few minutes later they were both in their trunks, and Lance was dragging Shiro towards the back door urgently.

"Wait until you see this," he said with excitement, practically bouncing as he clicked the lock on the door and swung it open.

What greeted Shiro was practically paradise.

The entire villa backed onto a smooth, white sand beach, dunes and a gentle row of small palm trees leading to the water's edge. It seemed calm that night, with the rush of waves never reaching above a whisper even as Lance pulled him forward.

"Shouldn't we lock the house up first? Shiro suggested, only to get an answering shrug from Lance.

"We're close," he replied, not even looking behind him as he stripped his t-shirt off and began wading into the sea, "and it's quiet, we'll be fine."

Here, watching Lance practically glitter in the combination of golden sunset and silver moonlight as the water reached his waist, Shiro didn't have the mind to argue.

"Well," he heard Lance call, smirk on his face, "are you coming?"

The next thing Shiro knew, he was in the surprisingly warm water, and it was around his ankles, his knees, his thighs, his waist.

He swam over to Lance, letting the water soak his turtleneck as it lapped up his chest and arms. Lance immediately greeted him with a hug, locking arms around his waist to pull him close.

"Shirt not coming off?" He questioned, but there wasn't any fire or anger in this question - merely curious, if slightly worried, head quirking when Shiro shook his head gently.

"Maybe another day, the prosthetic is waterproof," he replied, and the topic was dropped.

Instead, Shiro was more than happy to drape wet arms over Lance's illuminated shoulders, letting himself be held in the gentle current that was slowly pushing them back towards the shore. He could feel Lance's legs tangling with his, casually kicking the water to keep them both upright, and his fingers splayed across his back whilst he moved close.

"I'm glad you're here," Lance murmured against his skin, nestling his head into the crook of Shiro's neck and letting wet hair drip warm droplets over Shiro's skin, "thank you for coming, seriously."

"I should be thanking you," Shiro replied, voice barely above a murmur in the hiss of the sea, "It's you who invited me, after all, you who's working this entire week for free to let me come."

Against him, Lance laughed, agitating the water around them. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he admitted, letting his lips curl along Shiro's skin, "I'd be so bored here on my own, see? You're only here to entertain me."

"I knew you had an ulterior motive," Shiro replied with a laugh, chesty and true, Lance responding by splashing the back of his head lightly with water, "I'm just a pretty face for you, I knew it."

He heard Lance laugh softly, and he leaned down to press a kiss into Lance's hair. "Totally," he joked, and Shiro grinned up into the now starry sky, "I'm only here for the handsome face and ripped bod, I couldn't care less about the rest of you."

With that, they fell silent, content just holding each other in the gentle movement of the sea, moving in a slow, current-led dance with their toes brushing against silky sand. He felt content - whole - with Lance held against his front, comfortable with this whole body contact.

"I love you."

Lance didn't even move, and Shiro worried for a second that he'd ruined everything-

The next thing he felt was a gentle kiss on his collarbone.

"I love you too."

Lance's voice was nearly lost to the waves, a siren call meant for only Shiro that warmed him to the core and only made him want to hold Lance closer.

In the dark breeze of the warm night, no one was there to stop him. They'd have to go back soon, put away clothes and retire to bed at some ridiculous time in the morning.

For now though, Shiro would hold Lance close like the world would end tomorrow, and neither of them wanted to let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more week left!!!!! :0
> 
> Thank y’all for sticking with me!


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